Exercising apparatus



Nov. 1, 14927. 3,647,616-

N. E. GOODRICH EXERCI S ING APPARATUS iNov. 1, 1927.

N. E. GOODRICH EXERCISING APPARATUS Filed July 13, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 1, 1927.-

N. E. GoopRlcl-l EXERCISING APPARATUS Filed July 31925 4 sheets-sheet 5- Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE.

Nonnis E. GooDRIcH, or BATTLE CREEK,

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO SANITARIUM ANI) F MICHIGAN..

EXERCISING APPARATUS.

Application ledJuly 13, 1925. Serial No. 43,110.

This invention relates to exercising apparatus designed to promote health through mechanically stimulated exercise, and, in its general character, belongs tol that type of exercising devices designed to simulate the movements produced in horseback riding. Among the principal objects of the invention are, to provide an exercising apparatus which will closely simulate the movements of a horse in horse-back riding, toi provide, in such an apparatus, a simple and eticient electrically operated actuating means, to provide, in such an apparatus, a-` simple and easily adjusted means for varying the extent of rocking motion, to provide, in such an apparatus, a simple and easily manipulated mechanism, within convenient reach.

ofv the rider, for regulating the speed and intensity of the motion through control of the motor, and to provide in such an appa- -ratus an improved starting and stopping de- -vice for the motor. Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates as the same becomes better 'understood from the follow ing detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated one practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, andin which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete apparatus;

Fig.'2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fin'. 3 is a vertical section taken on the oifset line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, partly in side elevation of the motor, and partly in vertical section on the offset line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation ofthe motor and the starting and stopping device, as viewed from the right of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view in rear lelevation of the crank disc and connecting rod to the rocking frame;

Fig. 7 is an edgeelevation, partly in section, of the parts shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal section through parts of the starting and stopping 50 device on the oHset line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Referrin to the drawings, 10 designates a rectangu ar base frame conventionally formed of side and end angle bars bolted together and supported at the corners on short legs 11; the frame includingy a pair of flat cross bars 12 and 13 (Fig. 2) that sup port the motor and starting and stopping device.

On the rear end of the frame at the corners thereof are mounted a pair of short I-beam pedestals 14, rigidly connected and spaced by a tie-rod 15, on which pedestals yare mounted bearings 16 fora rock-shaft 17. The rocking frame member, of which the rock-shaft 17 constitutes the pivot, comprises principally front and rear vertical tubes 18 and 19 respectively, and a pair 0f inclined braces 22 extending from the top horizontal tube 20 to the rock-shaft 17. On l the top tube 2() are swiveled a pair of bearing blocks 20.on which is mounted a barrelshaped body 20a carrying the saddle 23 suitably equipped with stirrups 24 and other paraphernalia commonly associated with horseback equipment. The front upright 18 is extended somewhat above the upper sad-v dle-supporting tube 20, as shown at 18 in Figs. 1 and 3, and to the front of the same may be attached a mechanical neck-piece 25 equipped with a bridle rein 26 to further simulate the riding horse equipment.

Extending horizontally from the lower portion of the front tube 18 is a pole or arm 27 rendered rigid by a diagonal brace 28.

To the forward end of the pole 27 is pivoted a depending connecting rod 29, the lower end of which, as most clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is journaled on the wrist-pin 31 of a crank disc 32. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a simple means for adjusting the length of thr-ow of the wrist-pin 31, which latter is 'formed with a squared shank 33 slidable in I a radial rectangular slot 34 in the Icrank disc 32. 'A head 35 on the end of the wrist-pin 31 extends cross-wise of the slot 34 and carries on its inner side a pin 36 that may enter any of a series of holes 37 in the crank disc 32 at different radial distances from the axis of the latter. A nut 38 on the threaded end of the wrist-pin locksthe latter in place. The crank disc 32 is keyed on one end of a shaft 39 that, as best shownY in Fig. 2, isV

journaled in bearings in a frame 41 that is in turn supported on the rectangular base through the intervention of a hollow block 42 (Fig. 4). Fast on the shaft 39 is a worm gear 43 (Fig. 4) that is driven by a worm 44r fast on a horizontal shaft45, this latter betion such as is -indicated at 47 in Fig. 4,

with a shaft 48 of an electric motor conventionally illustrated at 49, said motor being itself suitably mounted and supported on the lbase frame of the apparatus to one side of the pole 27 so as not to interfere with the free swinging movements of the latter. A hood or casing 51 mounted on the base encircles and covers the shaft 45 and the fle-X- ible coupling 47.

Rotatably mounted in and extending through the front post 18 of therocking frame is a vertical shaft 52 provided on its upper end with a circular knob or handlel 53 within convenient reach 4of the rider for turning the same. On the lower end of the rod 52 is a miter gear 54 meshing with and driving a companion miter gear 55 on the rear end of a shaft 56, in which latter are included a pair of universal joints 57 and 58 to accommodate the shaft 56 to the swinging movements of the frame. This shaft 56 ac- 'Ytuates the motor starting and stopping device and the speed controlling arm of the motor through the device best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The inner end section of the ilexible shaft 56 is coupled to a rock-shaft 59 rotatably supported at one end in an insulation block 61 mounted in a skeleton fra-me 62 and at its other end in a casing 63 attached to the frame 62. This latter frame is in turn fastened by screws 64 to a main supporting frame 65 that in turn rests upon and is attached to the cross-bar 13 of the base frame. Attached to theffront face of the insulation block 61 are outer and inner arc-shaped contact strips 66 and 67, respectively. Integral with the rock-shaft 59 is an upstanding segment 68, to the front face of which is attached, by bolts 69 and 71 (Fig. 8) and insulation 72, a plate 73 formed with outer and inner sockets 74 and 75 in which are slidablymounted spring-pressed contact lingers 76 and 77, yrespectively that ride .over the faces of the contact strips 66 and 67.

The contact pins or fingers 76 and 77 are.

electrically connected by a wire 78. Continuous with one end of the contact strip 66 is a strip 79 of insulating material.

Mounted in the segment 68 is a stud 81 on which is pivoted one end of a link 82, the other end of which is pivoted at 83 to an arm 84 fast on a rock-shaft 85 j ournaled in bearings on the frame of the motor. Fast on the shaft 85 is another arm 86, that is connected by a link 87 with the brush-shifting arm 88 of the motor through which the speed of the latter is varied. y

The motor circuit through the starting and stopping switch is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The supply line 89 connects to binding post 91 on the rear side of the the latter.

In the idle position of the motor, the Segment 68 has been swung to the eXtreme right, viewing Fig. 5, carrying the contact pin 76 oli the contact strip 66 and onto the insulation strip 79, whereby the circuit is broken.

In this position of the segment 68, the speed controlling arm 88 of the motor is in its low speed position. The rider, having mounted the saddle, turns the motor-controlling knob or handle 53 in a direction to swing the switch segment 68 to the left, viewing Fig. 5. As soon as the nger 76 has passed off the insulation strip 79 onto the contact strip 66 the circuit is closed, and the motor starts at low speed. AIf greater4 speed is desired, the segment 68 is swung still further to the left which through the described lever and link connections to the speed-controlling arm 88, gradually increases the speed of the motor.

The flexible shaftv coupling 47 insures a gradual and easy transmission of the power of the motor to the mechanical drive of the rocking frame, thus avoiding a sudden and abrupt starting movement.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention herein shown, in order to more closely simulate all the actual movements involved in horse-back riding, I have incorporated a means, of which the swiveled bearing blocks 20 for the body and saddle form a part, for imparting a sidewise oscillation in addition to and simultaneous with the fore and aft and up and down movements. This is shown mainly in Figs. 1 and 3, wherein a bracket 100 is attached to the rear end of one side of the barrel body 20a. Connected to this bracket by a universal joint'101 is a depending link 102, the lower end of which is connected b another universal joint 103 to an angle racket 104 attached to the rear end bar of the base frame 10. From the foregoing it will be seen that as the saddle is swung upwardly and forwardly, the back pull of the link 102 will rock the saddle to one side, while as the saddle is swung downwardly and rearwardly, the upward thrust of the link 102 will rock the saddle to the opposite side; thus closely simulating the sidewise movements of a horses body when trotting, cantering, and galloping.

The universal joint connections of the A furtherfeature of the present invention resides in the provision of means, exempliied by the adjustable connection of the wrist-pin 31 to the-crank disc 32, by which the extent of rocking movement imparted to the saddle-carrying frame may be varied, so as to simulate the several gaits of a riding horse.

While I am aware thatexercising apparatus of this general character has heretofore been employed, the movement of the saddle has been materially different and much less beneficial to the uier of the apparatus than that accomplished bymy present invention. In the present instance the saddle movements simulate with a close degree of accuracy the' movements of the saddle on a live horse and are in a considerable degree due to the fact thatthe weight of the rider is rearwardly of the pivot shaft 17 instead of being directly over it, and also to the crank action at the forward end of the frame which imparts a quickupward throw tothe back of the saddle and a more gradual downward movement so as to closely approximate the exercise of actual horse-back riding.

Another novel feature of my invention resides in the fact that the speed controlling device, i. e. the adjustable handwheel 53 travels with and partakes of the movements of the saddle-supporting frame so that the rider may easily and conveniently manipulate the control to give any desired speed, which manipulation is very difficult to accomplish in apparatus wherein the controlling device is fixedly mounted so that the rider is continually moving relatively to the device.

I have herein shown and described, for purposes of illustration, one practical physical embodiment of the principle of the invention which, in practice, has been found to satisfactorily effectuate the stated urposes and objects thereof. It is mani est, however, that many of the' structural details may be variously modified without departin from the lspirit of the invention or sacri cing any of the advantages thereof, and hence I do not limit the invention to the particular embodiment shown, but reserve all such variations, modifications and me? chanical equivalents as fall within the spirit and purview of the appended claims.

l I claim:

1. In an exercising apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting bas-e, of a framemounted to work about a horizontal axis on' said base,'a saddle carried by said frame rearwardly of said axis, motor actuating connections froml said motor to said frame serving to impart a rocking motion to the latter and means carried by and movable with said frame whereby the vmotor may be controlled.

2. In an exercising apparatus of the charporting base,

acter described, the combination of a supporting base, a rock-shaft journaled on said base, an upright frame mounted at its lower end on and crosswise of said rock-shaft, a saddle mounted on said frame, a forwardly projecting arm on said frame, a motor mounted on said base, a crank disc driven by said motor, aconnecting rod between said crank disc and said arm, a motor controller on said base, and means on the frame accessible to an occupant of the saddle for regulating said controller.

3. In an exercising apparatus of the character described, the combination of a supporting base, a rock-shaft journaled on said base, an upright frame mounted at its lower end on and crosswise of said rock-shaft, a saddle mounted on said frame, a forwardly projecting arm on said frame, a motor mounted on said base, a transmission shaft journaled on said base, a worm gear drive from said motor to said transmission shaft, a crank disc fast on said transmission shaft, and a connecting rod between said crank disc and said arm.

4. In an exercising apparatus of the character described, the combination of a supporting base, a rock-shaft journaled on said base, an upright frame mounted at its lower end on and crosswise of said rock-shaft, a saddle mounted on said frame, a forwardly projecting arm on said frame, an electric motor mounted 'on sai'd base, a worm shaft, including a flexible coupling, driven by said motor, a transmission shaft journaled on said base, a worm gear on said transmission shaft driven from said wormshaft, a crank disc fast on said transmission shaft, and a connecting rod between said crank disc and said arm.

5. I-n an exercising apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting base, of a frame pivoted on said base and carrying a saddle, a variable speed electric motor mounted on said base, and motorcontrolling mechanism including an element mounted on said frame adapted to be manipulated by a person occupying said saddle. e

6. In an exercising apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting base, of a frame pivotedat its lower end on said base and carrying a saddle, said frame including a hollow upright member, a variable speed electric motor mounted on said base, a shaft journaled in said upright member, an operating handle on the upper end of said shaft, and flexible motor-controlling mechanism geared to the lower end of said shaft.

7 In an exercising apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supof a frame pivoted at its lower end on said base and carrying a saddle, a

variable speed electric motor mounted on said base, a circuit opening and closing switch mounted on said base, switch-actuatJ ing mechanism, including an .element mounted on said frame within reach of the person occupying said saddle, and connections from said switch to thel speed-regulating arm of said motor.

8. ln an exercising apparatus of the char" acter described, the combination with a supporting base, of a frame pivoted at its lower end on said base and carrying a saddle, said frame including a hollow upright member, a variable speed electric motor mounted on said base, a shaft journaled in said upright member, an operating handle on the upper end of said shaft, a pivoted circuit opening and closing switch mounted on said base, a flexible operating shaft for said switch geared toy said firstnamed shaft, and lever and link connections from said switch to the speed-regulating arm of said motor.

9. In an exercising apparatus of the character described, the combination with a'supporting base, of a rock-Shaft journaled on Said base, an upright frame secured at its lower end on said rock-shaft and carrying a saddle, a forwardly projecting arm on said frame, a motor, and actuating connections from said motor to said arm serving to impart a rocking motion to said frame; said actuating connections including a rotatable crank member and a connecting rod from said crank member to said arm, and adjustable means whereby the throw of said crank member may be varied.

10. In an exercising apparatus of the character described, the combination of a supporting base, a saddle carrying frame mounted on said base to rock about a,horizontal axis, a saddle positioned on said frame so that the center of gravity of the occupant thereof is at one side of said horizontal axis, means for rocking said frame and means for 'imparting a sidewise movement to said frame.

1l. In an exercising apparatus, the combination of a base,` a saddle supporting frame mounted on said base on a horizontal axis, means for rocking said frame to cause the saddle to move in. an arc about said axis, and manually operable means for controlling the speed of said frame rocking means said manual means being movable with the saddle in an 'arc about said rocking axis.

12. In an exercising apparatus, the combination of a base, a frame carried thereby and adapted to rock about a horizontal axis, a cylindrical body mounted on' said frame, a saddle secured to said body, means for rocking said frame so as to cause said saddle to move horizontally and vertically in a fixed vertical plane, and manually controlled means for regulating the speed of said movement said manual means being carried by the frame and movable with the saddle.

13. In an exercising apparatus of the character described, the combination of a base, a saddle carrying frame mounted on said base to rock fore and aft about a horizontal axis, a saddle swiveled on said frame to oscillate sidewise, means for imparting a fore and aft rocking movement to said frame, and means for simultaneously imparting a sidewise oscillating movement to said saddle.

14. In an exercising apparatus, of the character described, the combination of a base, a frame mounted on said base to rock fore and aft about a horizontal axis, a body member swiveled on said frame to oscillate sidewise, a saddle mounted on said body member, means for imparting a fore and aft rocking movement to said frame, and a link having a universal joint connection at its upper end to said body member at onel side of the central longitudinal vertical plane of the latter and a universal joint connection at its lower end to said base.

15. In an exercising device of the character described, the combination of a base, a shaft mounted on said base, a saddle-carrying frame pivoted on said shaft for fore and aft movement, a saddle pivotally mounted on said frame for sidewise oscillation, and means for moving said saddle forward and backward and simultaneously impartingay lateral rocking movement thereto.

16. In an exercising device of the character described, the combination of a base, a shaft mounted on said base, a saddle-carrying frame pivoted on said shaft for oscillating movement upon the axis of said shaft in a fore and aft direction, a saddle pivotally mounted on said frame for sidewise oscillation, means for imparting Amovement to said frame, and means separate.from said first named means for imparting sidewise oscillation to said saddle.

In witness of the foregoing I aflix my signature.

NORRlS E. GOODRICH. 

